I recommend Shop Class as Soulcraft, which contrasts blue-collar work (motorcycle repair) with knowledge work. It's not specifically "tech"-related, but it does a good job of exploring how corporatization has diminished the ability to be a craftsperson in modern careers.
Ask HN: Good books on philosophy of engineering?
51–60 of 140 posts
Re: Ask HN: Good books on philosophy of engineering?
#52Richard Hamming’s The Art of Doing Science and Engineering is one that’s really shaped my philosophy on CS. It pushes for the importance of reasoning from first principles, experimentation, and taking on extraordinary work. There’s also a fascinating and prescient section on AI and the limits of computers and how we think about them. Stripe Press makes a nicely bound hardcover edition of the book, too:
https://press.stripe.com/the-art-of-doing-science-and-engine...
Heartily recommend!
Re: Ask HN: Good books on philosophy of engineering?
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've never understood what engineers find in this book. It looks like a shallow kitchen philosophy of a guy next door to me. What you think is so good about this book for engineers, in a nutshell?
Did you read the whole book yourself or just skim it? (asking sincerely)
I read the book completely. The book was on a second year reading list for my industrial design department.
I absorbed as an introduction to the philosophical aspects of quality. Quality is truly a tough concept if approached as a universal truth.
Re: Ask HN: Good books on philosophy of engineering?
#54Tao Te Ching, seriously There is a lot of emphasis on simplicity and that things are the best when they work seamlessly. Chapter 17, from the translation by Derek Lin, which I wholeheartedly recommend: The highest rulers, people do not know they have them The next level, people love them and praise them The next level, people fear them The next level, people despise them
There are several ways to approach the Tao Te Ching, including the mystical, but I think that there's a great book that explains the underlying approach the Chinese have, called, Treatise on Efficacy. Essentially, in Chinese philosophy, any given situation has a propensity (water tends to run downhill). It is therefore more effective to work with that propensity, than it is to work heroically against that propensity.…
> Essentially, in Chinese philosophy, any given situation has a propensity (water tends to run downhill). It is therefore more effective to work with that propensity, than it is to work heroically against that propensity.
Interesting, this is similar to the Hindu/Indic idea of dharma (e.g. the dharma of water is to flow) and the idea of working with/towards dharma (both of oneself and the world generally). (Dharma refers to both the proper order of things and to the actions one takes to uphold it.)
Edit: The "See also" section on the Wikipedia page for Ṛta is interesting:
• Asha (Zoroastrianism) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asha
• Maat (Egyptian religion) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maat
• Me (Sumerian religion) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_(mythology)
• Tao (Chinese Taoism) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao
and a few others. In Hinduism there are Ṛta, Dharma, etc. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%B9%9Ata https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma) (also in Buddhism Jainism etc)
Re: Ask HN: Good books on philosophy of engineering?
#55I am so happy to get all these responses! All of the resources look interesting!!
I am going to start with Richard Hamming's The Art of Doing Science & Engineering. It looks to be something to get started.
I have been wondering this question ever since, I wish I had reached out to request help earlier. I am glad I did, nonetheless. I am 26, hope there is a lot more to learn, apply & build.
I am grateful to the universe (and the internet/hackernews). Thank you :)
Re: Ask HN: Good books on philosophy of engineering?
#56The Sciences of the Artificial by Herbert A. Simon. Absolutely foundational.
Re: Ask HN: Good books on philosophy of engineering?
#57I recommend Shop Class as Soulcraft, which contrasts blue-collar work (motorcycle repair) with knowledge work. It's not specifically "tech"-related, but it does a good job of exploring how corporatization has diminished the ability to be a craftsperson in modern careers.
+1
I thought Shop Class as Soulcraft was excellent and found the author's theories on the lack of job and life satisfaction among those doing "knowledge work" compelling.
It reminded me of the movie Margin Call when Kevin Spacey's character, who manages a trading floor for a wall street investment firm, laments that if he'd been a ditch digger, at least he'd have a bunch of holes left behind as evidence he accomplished something.
Re: Ask HN: Good books on philosophy of engineering?
#58The Design Of Everyday Things by Don Norman might be something of interest https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/840
Seconding this. It's an important book for all kinds of design
I would also recommend "Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship" by Robert C. Martin. It focuses on crafting higher quality code, which is the property of it not only running well, but being easy to understand and to work on
Re: Ask HN: Good books on philosophy of engineering?
#59The Things We Make by Bill Hammack
Re: Ask HN: Good books on philosophy of engineering?
#60Not totally what you are looking for, but I'd highlghly recommend "Apollo" by Murray and Cox. It focuses on the engineering history of the Apollo program, and it is a superbly well written and researched worked and so many of the stories are about engineering philosophy that I think it'll really be worth your while.
In a similar vein, there's "Skunk Works" by Ben Rich and Leo Janos, which covers the development of the U-2, F-117, and SR-17 aircraft. Not about the philosophy of engineering per se, but it's a great perspective into how problems were solved in a very unique program with extreme goals, before modern computer-aided tools.